Pregnancy and New Moms

March of Dimes – All mothers-to-be benefit from prenatal care. Pregnant women who see a health care provider regularly have healthier babies, are less likely to deliver prematurely, and are less likely to have other serious problems related to pregnancy. The goal of prenatal care is to monitor the progress of pregnancy and to identify problems before they become serious for either mom or baby.

Baby Furniture – What Do You Really Need?

By Heather Owens

Walking into a baby furniture store can be completely mind blowing – there’s so much stuff! Most of us don’t have an unlimited amount of money to spend, and if you’ve never had a baby before, it can be really hard to work out what’s really necessary, useful, or basically a waste of time. If you’re planning to set up a gift register at the store, you want to make sure the things you put on it are useful and practical. It’s can all be incredibly confusing.

Let’s take a look at some of the main items you’re going to find in the baby store, so that you can have some idea of what baby furniture you really want or need before you even get to the store. That way you can focus on picking exactly which one you want, rather than messing about deciding whether you actually want or need it.

Baby Bassinet or Cradle

A bassinet or cradle is used from birth until around 4 months. Basically, if the baby can roll from side to side, it’s time for baby to move up into a crib. Make sure the mattress fits snugly against the sides. You may even find that a padded bumper, sheets and quilt are included.

The bassinet probably falls somewhere in the middle between necessary and unnecessary. If you’re on a budget, you can certainly go without one. Having said that, I loved my bassinet and wouldn’t have been without it. It’s so convenient to be able to move baby around. I generally let baby sleep in his own room during the day, and used a baby monitor, then at night wheeled baby’s bassinet into my room. Mine could be rocked gently to help baby fall asleep, and because it was up on a stand, it was easy to life baby in and out – I was recovering from a caesarean.

So my advice would be – if you can fit a bassinet into your budget, do it. Perhaps it’s an item that a few friends or family could buy for your baby shower.

Baby Crib or Cot

Some sort of secure bed for baby is definitely required. Spending a fortune buying one isn’t required! You can buy cribs in a massive range of styles – with a huge range of price tags to match. Probably the main thing to look for is to make sure the crib adheres to the required safety standards. Check that the mattress fits snugly against the sides of the crib. Some other helpful features are: an adjustable base height, a couple of release mechanisms (not just one, in case baby learns how to do it!), lockable wheels, and no stickers that can be peeled off easily.

Crib Mattress

Many cribs include their own mattress, and that’s probably the best option because it should fit the crib snugly. There are two types of mattress – inner spring/coil or foam. Generally, the innerspring style of mattress will last much longer, but is usually a little more expensive. It’s worth buying some sort of waterproof mattress pad, to protect the mattress, but make sure it doesn’t have any plastic on the side the baby will be sleeping on.

Bedding Accessories

This is an area where you can start to spend some serious dollars! It’s very easy to get carried away with all the cute and gorgeous designs for baby bedding. Thankfully most cribs and bassinets use standard sizes, which makes things a little easier. One good strategy is to buy the necessary basics yourself, then put all the less necessary accessories on your baby shower gift register. Apart from the basic sheets, I’ve always liked to have a bumper for the top end of baby’s bed – and make sure it ties on in multiple places, so more than one tie has to break before it can fall down. You should never use a pillow for baby, and even quilts or comforters aren’t recommended – stick to ordinary blankets. You can also often get added extras, such as diaper stackers. Personally I’ve never found them of much use, but again, some of the extra might make good baby shower gifts.

Changing Table

If you’re really strapped for cash, then you can probably make do with using your bed as a changing table, but if you can, this is something I highly recommend. Your back will certainly prefer it! My changing table was actually more like a set of dresser drawers, and nowadays, with the changing table part removed, it’s still being used as drawers for my daughter’s clothes. So it pays to think ahead and buy a changing table that’s practical. Also look for safety features, such as guardrails and perhaps even safety straps. And of course it needs to be well padded! It’s handy to have some sort of shelf where you can put items you’re using, but personally I just put them down one end of the changing table and changed baby at the other end. Once baby got bigger, I used the top drawer.

Rocking Chair

This is definitely on the “maybe” list. A lot of women swear by them, but personally I never had one and it never bothered me in the slightest. So this is going to come down to personal preference and your budget. Having said that, you will need a comfortable chair to sit in, particularly if you’re nursing your baby.

Portable Crib

This is one piece of baby furniture that got used a lot in my household! My son used to come to work with me when he was little, and I used a portable crib for his naps. It was great when I went to visit family and friends, because baby was familiar with it and happy to have a nap when the time came. I also didn’t have to worry about baby rolling off someone’s bed. It meant that we could go on holidays and know that baby had somewhere safe and familiar to sleep. I used mine so much that I ended up having to buy a second one when my daughter came along! It’s important, though, to spend some time making sure the portable crib you choose is well constructed and safe. Make sure it can’t collapse easily, particularly if baby tries to climb out. Check there are no small spaces where fingers could get trapped, and a collapsible padded base is very helpful.

High Chair

A high chair rates very close to the essential end of the scale. The good news is that you don’t need one straight away, so you can put off buying it until quite a few months after baby is born. Look for an adjustable tray, restraints of some kind and perhaps even lockable rolling casters. Some models also have a reclining seat, so you can use it even when baby is still bottle feeding.

Car Seat

This is definitely essential – apart from ensuring your baby’s safety, you’re breaking the law in most places if you don’t have one. Newborns must travel in the back seat of the car, facing the rear. Once baby is older, usually closer to 1 year old, you can place baby in a forward facing car seat. When your child is older again, anywhere from 2 years upwards depending on their size, you can change over to a booster seat.
The major decision you’ll have here is whether to buy separate, specially designed car seats for baby and then your toddler, or whether to buy a convertible model. Personally I always had 2 separate car seats, mostly because all the consumer safety research I’d seen suggested that a specifically designed car seat was more effective in an accident. Thankfully I never tested that theory out! Construction and safety levels are constantly improving, however, so if buying a convertible model is where your budget is, that’s okay too.

Strollers

This is another baby item where there seems to be too many choices. First you have to decide which style of stroller you want, before even looking at individual brands. At some point you are going to want to transport your baby, so you will need to buy something. You need to start by having a long, hard think about what you expect your movements to be with your baby. Do you plan to take baby jogging with you? Go over rougher terrain regularly? Or will you probably only put baby in a stroller at the shops? Do you want a pram that can later be converted into a stroller?

Once you have an idea what type of things you’ll need to use your stroller for, a salesperson at the baby store should be able to guide you in the right direction. You then need to think about what added features you might like – accessory bars, toy and activity bars, headrests, adjustable height, rain shields etc.

Choosing the right stroller is probably going to take you a while!

Baby Monitor

A baby monitor probably isn’t necessary, but I always found it was great for peace of mind. It meant I could be off in another part of the house doing something, but still be monitoring my baby’s nap. Prices vary a lot, but it’s probably better to choose your monitor based on the features you’re going to need, rather than price. If you’re going to move around a lot, make sure your monitor is portable. Do you want batteries or mains power? Do you want video monitoring as well?

Bouncer Seat

Again, this isn’t necessary, but it’s very useful! Babies love to watch everything that’s going on around them, and it’s much easier for them if they’re raised slightly from the horizontal. You can buy all sorts of fancy bouncer seats, with everything from toy bars to battery operated bouncing. I only ever had a very basic fabric bouncer, and most of the time the toy bar wasn’t even attached. Both my kids loved them, and the good thing was that I always knew where they were! Very handy, particularly when I was cooking dinner. The main thing to remember is that you should NEVER place a bouncer seat on a raised surface, they should always be placed on the floor or ground.

About the Author: Discover more about getting ready for baby’s arrival here. The author’s book about babies is available at http://www.baby.learnheaps.com . You can sign up for a FREE Baby Tips newsletter at http://www.infoaboutbaby.com/newsletter.html .  Source: www.isnare.com, Permanent Link

EXPECTANT MOTHER’S HOSPITAL CHECKLIST

Click here for the checklist!

How Should You Feed Your New Infant?

By Connie Limon

A lot of people “think” infant formula is as good as breast milk. There are also a growing number of people who are becoming increasingly uncomfortable with mothers breast-feeding their infants in public. Quite frankly a woman’s breasts were created primarily as the main source of nutrition for human infants. However, throughout our times a woman’s breasts have become more of a “sex object” than as their true purpose of nurturing human infants. This may be one reason why so many people are uncomfortable seeing a woman baring her breasts to provide her infant with daily meals. The sight of a woman’s breast often creates “sexual arousal” for a lot of people. Most people just don’t think of a woman’s breasts as “baby bottles.”

Findings continue to indicate there is a need to educate the general public that breast-feeding is the best method of feeding and nurturing infants. The next best choice is cow’s milk-based infant formula. When choosing a commercial formula, use a brand recommended by your baby’s doctor. Do not try to create your own baby formula.

Health experts recommend infants be breast fed for at least a year, and receive breast milk alone until they reach six months of age. There are few people who breast feed continue breast-feeding until one year of age.

The decision to breastfeed is not always possible for every woman. The decision to breastfeed or formula feed your baby should be based upon your comfort level with breastfeeding and your lifestyle. If you decide to feed your baby a commercially prepared formula rest assured that your baby’s nutritional needs will be met. You will still bond with your baby.

One of the happiest times of my life was when I was feeding my only child her bottle. It was always a time of bonding for us. We made constant eye contact the entire time she nursed. I now raise Shih Tzu puppies, and I am certain this is a compensation for those unforgettable moments with my own baby daughter. What a thrill it was to watch her as she finished the entire bottle. I felt like jumping and doing a big hooray cheer when she was finished because I felt so comfortable now she was well nourished and nurtured. The bottle feeding times with my only child were some of the most emotionally complete moments of my life. She was the sweetest baby ever! The bonding is the same with bottle feeding as my own personal opinion and experience.

Some of the advantages of breast feeding are:

• Infection-fighting such as ear infections, diarrhea, respiratory infections and meningitis. Breast milk contributes to the infant’s immune system by increasing barriers to infection and decreasing the growth of organisms like bacteria and viruses.

• Breastfeeding is particularly beneficial for premature babies

• Breastfeeding may protect children against allergies, asthma, diabetes, obesity and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

• Breast milk is easily digested by a newborn’s immature digestive system. Breast milk is often called the “perfect food” for a human baby’s digestive system.

• Breast milk naturally contains all the vitamins and minerals that a newborn requires.

• Breast milk is FREE.

• Women who breastfeed are less likely to have to take time off from work to care for their sick babies.

• Convenience: There are no bottles to mix and sterilize and no last-minute runs to the store for more formula. Breast milk is always fresh, available and the right temperature.

• Some studies show breast fed babies for at least 6 months have higher IQs than children who were formula fed.

Some Disadvantages of Breast feeding are:

• For some mothers it is easy from the start, for others it is difficult. Both baby and mother need plenty of patience and persistence to get used to the routine of breastfeeding. All the effort is often worth it in the long run.

• Personal comfort: Many mothers feel uncomfortable with breastfeeding. To overcome the discomforts seek out adequate education, support and practice.

• Latch-on pain is normal for the first week to 10 days and should last less than a minute with each feeding. If breastfeeding hurts throughout feedings, or if nipples and/or breasts are sore, seek the advice of your doctor. Many times it is just a matter of using the proper technique.

• You will need to limit caffeine intake during breastfeeding.

Types of commercial formulas:

• Powder (the least expensive)
• Liquid conentrate (requires dilution)
• Premixed ready-to-feed (the most expensive, but most convenient)
• Soy-based formula (if your baby is lactose-intolerant).

Always check the expiration date on the formula before you purchase and prepare your baby’s bottle.

Infant formula is made to contain many of the same nutrients and components found in breast milk. These nutrients include protein, fat, vitamins A,C, D, E, K, iron, calcium and many more.

If you use a liquid or powder formula be sure to read the directions on how much water and formula to use. Follow these directions carefully and measure each time you prepare the formula. Mix the formula with cold water. Heat the bottle to the temperature your baby prefers. If you use water from a well, be sure to boil it before it is used to mix with the formula. You may also use bottled water. Before feeding your baby shake the bottle so the formula mixes evenly with the water. Prepare only enough formula to last a 24 hour period. Discard formula left after this period of time. Never microwave formula.

Glass bottles provide the longest use. If you use glass bottles check the bottle on a regular basis for any chips or cracks that can hurt your baby. There are also plastic and disposable bottles you can use.

Bottle nipples come in several varieties as well as different shapes. Ask your baby’s doctor for a recommendation and try several different types to see which your baby prefers.

You should replace the nipple as needed. Ways to monitor for nipple replacement:

• The formula comes out too quickly.
• The nipple has become discolored
• The nipple has deteriorated in any way. A weakened or damaged nipple is a potential choking hazard.

Other routine chores involved with bottle feeding are:

• Sterilizing the bottles

• Storing formula in your refrigerator. Remembering to discard to formula you do not use within the 24 hour period.

Bottle Feeding Possible Advantages:

• Commercially prepared infant formulas are a nutritious alternative to breast milk and even contain iron.

• Formula is manufactured under sterile conditions and attempted to duplicate mother’s milk. If you bottle feed it is important to use a commercially prepared formula and that you do not try to create your own formula.

• Either parent (or another caregiver) can feed the baby a bottle at any time (although this is also true for women who pump their breast milk).

• Flexibility: Once the bottles are made, mother can leave her baby with a partner or caregiver. There is no need to pump or to schedule work or other obligations and activities around the baby’s feeding schedule.

• No need to find a private place to nurse in public; however you will need to always carry baby’s supplies for making formula.

•Formula digests slower than breast milk, therefore, babies usually need to eat less often than do breastfed babies.

• Mom does not have to worry about the things she eats or drink affecting her baby.

The best plan is to educate yourself as much as possible about both methods and then make your decision.

Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

This article is not meant to replace the advice and guidance of your Medical Care Professional. It is offered as information only. Please consult your Medical Care Professional for all health care issues.

This article is FREE to publish with the resource box.

About the Author: Connie Limon. Visit us at http://www.babiesandtoddlers1.com About Babies and Toddlers is a collection of articles all about babies and toddlers available for information, education and FREE reprints to your newsletters, websites or blogs. Source: www.isnare.com, Permanent Link

Create An Online Pregnancy Journal For Free! – Show off your expanding tummy to friends and family around the world